Ch. 13 Creating the Confidence to Respond

A section of this chapter that I really liked was the "Step Inside a Classroom" from "Keep Your Expectations High." The teacher did not back down when the students wanted to read Huckleberry Finn but she worked harder so that the students could understand the text.The students in her class ended up reading the same books as the students in the advanced class. This goes to show that all students have the potential to excel if teachers work hard to guide them.

Another section I enjoyed was "Create a Classroom that Encourages Risks." The teachers found themselves in similar situations that their students find themselves in everyday. Like the students the teachers felt uncomfortable speaking up at the conference because the did not know the other teachers and cared about their opinions. To make students more comfortable with speaking in the classroom Beers suggests that students should know each others names, teachers should celebrate diversity in the classroom, and not to tolerate put-downs. I thought these were excellent points in encouraging students to participate in the classroom and they are also areas I would have never guessed would promote confidence.

I thought the "Aesthetic and Efferent Stances Towards Reading" section was very relevant to today's students. I have witnessed a lot of students flipping through the pages of a book just to find answers that they need for homework.By taking on the Efferent approach alone students will never have the opportunity to relate to the text and enjoy it.While both of these stances are important, students need both so that they can find information from a text when needed and relate to the text in other situations. It is also important that students be able to switch back and forth from these stances when necessary.

I also thought that the" Types of Alliteration" section was important because as teachers we must be able to understand why our students choose not to read. By knowing and understanding these types of alliteration teachers can be more successful in changing students feelings towards reading.